Tech 2.0 for Thursday, May 30, 2013

There are concerns about a new Apple security feature meant to keep hackers from getting a hold of personal information. The new system has some big holes, according to a new report from a security software company. Under the new system, users log in using both a password and some other piece of data, like a string of numbers sent via text message. But the new report says it only protects users in a few situations, like buying new music or making changes to their accounts. It does nothing to protect photos or other potentially sensitive info stored using Apple's iCloud service. The report offers a tough assessment, saying Apple's new security, "Does not look like a finished product." An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment on the report.

Motorola was once a power player in the mobile phone industry and now it's staging a comeback in a big way. The company is planning to build its new flagship smartphone -- the Moto X -- at a facility just outside of Fort Worth, Texas. Motorola says not only will this be the first smartphone to be made in the U.S., but this venture will provide thousands of jobs for the community.

Mark Randall, Senior V.P., Motorola Mobility, “When you have a facility with 2,000 people, you need general management, you need people in quality control, you need somebody in manufacturing, you need people in test, you need IT resources, you need line laborers. So, there's entry level, there's college degree level, employment at all levels."

The company says most of the jobs will be filled by the end of the summer and the phone will debut in the Fall. Its new facility used to make phones for Nokia, before those operations moved overseas.

Americans are a chatty bunch. A global wireless industry trade group says U.S. consumers talk five times as much as Europeans on their cellphones and use twice as much data. The report by the GSM Association also says Americans pay more for their cell service than Europeans. AT&T and Verizon Wireless have the lead in introducing the latest network technology. GSMA says that means average data downloads are 75 percent faster in the U.S.